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Frédéric Docquier

Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER), Luxembourg, and IZA@LISER, Luxembourg

Now embedded within the LISER Policy Lab, the World of Labour strengthens our mission to bridge research and policy. I am proud to see it deliver rigorous, accessible insights to decision-makers, advisors, and other stakeholders committed to shaping more informed, inclusive, and forward-looking societies.

World of Labour role

Author

Current position

Deputy Director of the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER), Luxembourg

Research interest

Migration, development, growth

Website

https://sites.google.com/view/fredericdocquier/home

Positions/functions as a policy advisor

Economic Advisor for the Regional Government of Wallonia (Belgium), 1991–2005; External expert for the World Bank (2004–2015, 2023), UNESCO (2018), United Nations (2015); Director and founder of LISER Policy Lab, 2025 to present

Past positions

Economic Advisor to the Regional Government of Wallonia (Belgium), 1991–2005; Associate Professor, University of Lille 2, 1997–2005; Professor of Economics at UCLouvain and Research Associate at FNRS (Belgium), 2005-2020

Qualifications

PhD Economics, University Aix-Marseille II, 1995

Selected publications

  • “Populism and the Skill-Content of Globalization." Economic Journal (2026) (with S. Iandolo, H. Rapoport, R. Turati and G. Vanoorenberghe).

  • “The Vicious Circle of Xenophobia: Immigration and Right-Wing Populism.“ Economic Policy (2025) (with H. Rapoport).

  • “The academic market and the rise of universities in medieval and early modern Europe (1000-1800).“ Journal of the European Economic Association (2024)(with D. de la Croix, D. A. Fabre and R. Stelter).

  • “Climate change, Inequality and Human Migration.“ Journal of the European Economic Association (2022) (with M. Burzynski, C. Deuster and J. de Melo).

  • “Globalizing labor and the world economy: the role of human capital.“ Journal of Economic Growth (2018) (with M. Delogu and J. Machado).

Article(s)

  • The brain drain from developing countries Updated

    Brain drain need not be a curse—it can be a catalyst: under the right conditions, selective emigration promotes skills acquisition and economic development in the country of origin.

    Frédéric DocquierCatia Batista, April 2026
    Brain drain refers to the selective emigration of highly educated people, who often have stronger incentives to migrate and face fewer barriers. At first glance, this seems to be an adverse situation: losing doctors, engineers or teachers could hinder development. However, migration can also be beneficial by spurring investment in skills, fueling remittances, fostering innovation, business links, and transfers of knowledge and norms. The net impact depends on the skills involved and the context, creating an opportunity for policies that transform emigration into a driver of development.
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  • The brain drain from developing countries

    The brain drain produces many more losers than winners in developing countries

    Frédéric Docquier, May 2014
    The proportion of foreign-born people in rich countries has tripled since 1960, and the emigration of high-skilled people from poor countries has accelerated. Many countries intensify their efforts to attract and retain foreign students, which increases the risk of brain drain in the sending countries. In poor countries, this transfer can change the skill structure of the labor force, cause labor shortages, and affect fiscal policy, but it can also generate remittances and other benefits from expatriates and returnees. Overall, it can be a boon or a curse for developing countries, depending on the country’s characteristics and policy objectives.
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